To start this post I apologize for not updating the Blog routinely like I said I would.  It's been very busy for me but no excuses.  I will be more diligent in updating the Blog (and this time I mean it).

Tom has had a couple of weeks off from treatment, which is really good, because these treatments have taken their toll on him.  He's just beginning to feel better and on Thursday he starts in again.

The Oncologist is changing the type of Chemo he'll be getting on Thursday due to the pretty severe reactions he's had the last few times he's received treatment.

My sister, her husband, and our kids and grand kids joined us for Thanksgiving on Thursday.  I was so happy  to have them join us.  It brought some sort of normalcy to our house that we haven't seen in a while.

That, said I am so grateful for everything we do have, including a wonderful family and great friends.

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas just around the corner I was thinking about the holidays and what they mean to me.

I do very limited Christmas shopping since we buy primarily for the grandkids only.  Years ago we used to exchange gifts with all family members.  After I watched my kids put their gifts in drawers, never to be seen again, until we disposed of them I decided we would no longer exchange gifts.  The holidays, to me, are about spending time with family, not exchanging gifts.  Isn't that what Christmas should be about?

The most precious gifts we ever received were things our kids made for us when they were in school.  I wonder what happened to those times of making, rather than buying gifts.  Of exchanging just one gift, with all the love and thought that went in to either making or buying it, rather than counting how many gifts are under the tree.

Any of you who know me know that I spoil my grandkids.  I know the psychological reasons for that are because we grew up with nothing and I remember that terrible feeling of being embarrassed because we had less than everyone else (or at least that was our perception).  As I get older, I consider how those days shaped the person I am today.  Is it so bad to help our kids to know the true meaning of Christmas?  To help them to know that even if they don't get "the thing they had to have" the world would not come to an end, assuming they would even remember a week later.  Is it so bad to have adults know that too?

I know, at least for me, I want nothing for Christmas this year except to get a good report on Tom's health.  To know that the treatments are working and that he will get better.

Thank you Carla for your comment on the last Blog.  It's nice to keep in touch, even if it's only through the Blog.

Jeanne will be taking Tom to his treatment this week as I have to be away for work.  I don't think I need to tell anyone, reading this Blog, how stressful it is not to be there when he is having treatment.  That said, I'm thankful and grateful that Jeanne has stepped in to help.

In one of the previous Blog posts I indicated that I would work on informing those of you reading the Blog where the best deals were for organic foods.  I'm still working on it.   I'm saving all of my receipts to do some comparisons.  To let you know, I bought an organic red pepper yesterday that was almost $4.  My hope is that I can provide you with some information that will assist you in purchasing organic products, if you choose to do that, that won't cost you an arm and a leg (like the pepper, watermelon and various other purchases I have made).

My sister e-mailed me a link with lots of good information.  Once you open the link, there are additional links to organic food coupons, how to make home made cleaners and a variety of other information.  If you're interested, click on the link.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/frugalliving101/tp/Start_Frugal.htm

We've been doing this for six months now.  Thank you for hanging in there with us, reading the Blog, and staying in touch.